Lovelyish

Nothing is a guarantee.

It depends what your idea of worth is. If you’re looking for networking, friendships, that social experience, that learning experience and such, I would say it’s worth it. At 21, I’ve just graduated and for my brand new program, of course there was no guarantee. Next year, I’m going to a college for the applied skill sets I got a taste of in university. Admittedly, the majority of that specific skill set was acquired through classmates, the internet, and exploration on my own part and on my own time more than professors.

Regardless, I had a great time, I met awesome professors, made a few great friends, and I really just love the atmosphere of learning environments like that. I’d be a student forever if I could.

Yes. For some career choices, like mine, there is no other option unless I wanted to work at the bottom tier my entire career.

What you say makes sense though. A degree is not a guarantee but it can be a foot in the door or the bare minimum requirement.

It depends really especially on the major you’re going for.

I have a lot of friends that are going to be doctors and nurses and for them, college is necessary but for me, it’s not. What I want doesn’t really need college.

You can still have a great career without a degree and since college is expensive these days…it almost doesn’t feel worth going. Just seeing the horrible debts that my bf and other friends will have….just makes me shudder.

But in the end, it’s up to you. 

Even if your degree does not guarantee you a certain job, not having a degree guarantees that you won’t get the job. Even entry level positions require some form of degree. 

This post is very true.  In my field, animal work, it is very dependent upon experience.  A good friend of mine doesn’t even has his degree yet, and already has a pretty permanent position as an animal trainer at the AZA aquarium.  So many other people HAVE a degree, but can’t get jobs where they want. Why is that? Because they don’t get experience (internships, jobs, volunteers, etc) during college, so they have to get it AFTER college. 

Even if you don’t find a career right after college, after the economy rebounds and companies start hiring again, having a degree will put you ahead of everyone else who doesn’t have one. I’m not calling you lazy or anything but when you put in the four years of extra work (more for some majors), you’ll definately stand out over the people who didn’t. Plus in college you take a lot of classes that are not exactly specific to your major and you are more well rounded.

I think whether or not getting a college degree depends on a lot of different factors: type job, your inclination to go to school, etc.  I do recommend to look for at least a part time job/internship in the field you plan on going into early on, as a lot of employers look for people with experience, even if it is a receptionist or filing clerk job.  It gets one foot in the door.

@Kendall - I agree, having or not having a degree doesn’t guarantee a certain job, as employers look for other qualities and skills a job candidate has.

I’ll be brutally honest. If you want a job, it’s not worth it to major in history, literature, English, Finnish studies, women’s studies (anything with the word “studies” in it), etc. Liberal arts degrees generally don’t pay, and when you’re getting in debt over your education, you want more than to gain an open mind and more knowledge.

Is it worth it to study business, science, engineering, econ? Hell yes. I studied economics, minor in international relations, also Russian, and well… the job offers I have are amazing. I would’ve never gotten any of this without my degree. 

BUT, having a degree in any field, even a practical one, doesn’t guarantee you anything. You NEED to put time in finding jobs, internships, fellowships, etc. 

I think it’s important to learn some things at school, but it’s also important to always be learning some things by yourself, and create your own “lesson plans”.  There’s something good that comes out of doing both is what I try to believe.

I’m majoring in photography currently, and I’m going to college just to learn more about it. Even if I already know everything they teach me, I will still have opportunities to build a portfolio, get internships, and gain experience in the work field. I think it really just depends on your major and how confident you are in yourself. College is definitely good to see on the resume, but if you think you get get by without it, then do it!

Depends on what you want to do, how independent/entrepreneurial you are, and what you’re good at. If you want to work as a bartender in Thailand, work in construction, or are good with your hands, then you may not need to go to college. A college education is not a guarantor of success or an absolute requirement for it.

However if you plan on working for someone else at any point in your life and especially if you want to make management in most places, you need a degree. The job I’m working right now could honestly be done by anyone with moderate people skills, a working knowledge of MS Office, and half a brain, but the only people who were considered for the position were college graduates. The market is so saturated with bachelor’s degrees that you need one just to snag an entry-level position at most places. And even then you need previous work experience, internships, and you need to network. Unless you have a stellar resume of related work experience, a solid GPA, a strong network of positive references, no one is going to be handing you the keys to anything.

And echoing what MoonFaeEyryan said, you have to look at a college education as an investment, especially with the costs being what they are. If you’re going to sink that much money and time into something, you need to choose something that will maximize your return on that investment, or at the very least will help pay off your student debt. A lot of people don’t realize that student loans and college debt will follow you forever; you can’t even shake them off by declaring bankruptcy.

IMO, it all boils down to one (very necessary) single piece of paper (a diploma) and two letters after your name on a resume. Period.
For the most part, you will learn all skills needed during the first few weeks on the job.

people are dumb that say college isn’t worth it.

Do you want to chance DIEING everytime you enter a building, drink water, or drive?  No?Then shut up.

And if you major in something dumb like “basketweaving” OF COURSE you’re not going to have job garenties.  But if you go to say Rice for Engineering or whatever you 99% chance of getting a job unless your a felon or a complete social idiot.

@LookingPro@xanga - I would hope any type of schooling would have taught you to communicate better than you just did.

And I agree with @tokyoexpressman@xanga; college isn’t the end-all, be-all. It’s good to have academic backing for sure, but it’s also good to have other things going for you: intelligence, social skills, and a willingness to work to get some place.

@xsPoNgEs_go_SQUISHx13@xanga - and one would hope that you would not consider the interent such an important place.

However nowadays you have to go to college. Perhaps it isn’t easy for anyone to get jobs but its definitely harder to become successful and substantiate wealth without a college degree. Sure some who did not go to college are better fit for working but you have no way to prove yourself without a degree

Nothing guarantees anything. Anyone who goes into job searching expecting a job just because they have a degree probably has an inflated sense of entitlement to begin with. I know people who are so surprised that no one wants to hire them outside of fast food places when they blew off college because there is no guarantee. It also depends on your major and how willing you are to pick up and move to find a job. I know plenty of engineers who are having issues finding jobs because they don’t want to go more than a couple hours away from the college since they’ve lived here for a while. They go to an engineering school and so many are going out for the same jobs. You have to be open.

I’ve always been on the path for college. I wouldn’t ever physically be able to last in the military and growing up I was really only given the ability to learn skills that help you out in either the military or college. I haven’t even thought of anything else since I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. But I do know some people who wouldn’t have done well in college because of their own interests and are doing well with establishing careers through small training programs like a certificate for massage. It all depends on you.

For my major college is important.  Grad school is also probably a must.

I feel like college is so much more than the degree.  If I had never went to college I wouldn’t have all these great experiences with the people I’ve met.  Don’t get me wrong though, your studies should definitely be top priority but, the college life is something I will definitely never regret.  I wouldn’t be apart of a lab working with grad students, phd students, and an amazing professor.  I also wouldn’t have a job that mentors incoming freshman.  I also wouldn’t be an officer at a club.
I guess it just depends if you sit at home all day while you’re in college…then of course its not worth all that money.  But if you are actually involved…then you’re getting the most out of this important chapter in your life

Well theres a reason why parents always want their kids to be educated. I don’t really understand why my parents harp on me for it but yet again I never had responsibilities or had to pay the bills on my own but one day Ill learn.. Im in college taking nursing now……

But I’d say……. If you wanna go to college go into something that you wll love and that WILL guarantee you get a job…

Like.. if you don’t think you can make money as a painter… Do it as a side thing and get a degree in somtehing you KNOW you will have a job that way you can still support yourself and at the side do what you love to do.. (paint) thats just an example

I think college is worth it…………..

@LookingPro@xanga - Ha, touche’

i’m not interested in business at all.  i am 100% liberal arts.  so yeah, anything i might do with my life requires not only a BA, but a PhD.  

@xsPoNgEs_go_SQUISHx13@xanga - seriously…WTF did she just try to say?

The title is a bit deceptive here… “Is college worth it” seems to be relating the choices of “college education VS. non-college education”.  Then the rest of the post goes on to discuss getting a job, post-college… which seems like it should be opposed to getting a job WITHOUT a college degree.  In that case, college is easily worth it.  As you’ve mentioned, there are a bajillion people with undergraduate degrees out there (true numbers there, no hyperbole).  Why would an employer even bother with someone without that very easily achievable resume check?

However, from the tenor of the post, the real question here seems to be “does college guarantee you a job”… or more precisely, “does college guarantee you a job you WANT?”  I’ll agree with the original poster here that the immediate answer is “No”… but the question needs to be addressed a little more intricately than that.

College is no longer a straight-walk to a job, especially a desired position in a desired field.  It is, however, just like high school before it, a very necessary step to many careers.  The original author seems to think that the ability to learn most anything via the internet is some kind of a substitute for a college education, or even better… this, frankly, is false.  The reason is because of the ways interviews and hiring processes are conducted.  How often does one person’s skillset get pitted against another person’s in competition for a job?  This view of the hiring market is more archaic than one that thinks an undergrad degree leads directly to employment.  In the modern world, almost every salaried position requires a degree.  Common positions see 6-10 applicants per position, highly desired ones can see dozens or hundreds of applications.  How in the world is a company supposed to evaluate the skillset of that large a group of people?  Even trying to logically evaluate the difference in a 5-person pool requires a great amount of time and effort, not to mention a staff equipped to judge those things, who can set aside their time to do so.

Thankfully, there is an alternative.

Companies have things called Human Resources departments… they take in resumes, check transcripts, look for things like degrees and references, and then will often conduct interviews with potential employees.  That’s the process we have.
Where in there do you actually DEMONSTRATE your skill set, much less compete with other applicants?
Pretty much never.

Sorry, but we live in a world where being able to show you have the skills is a thing for job retention, not job hiring.  If you want to be hired, you’re going to need a degree, and likely certifications (most of which require you to have a degree to even enroll in their certification program).  Then, you’ll want experience in the field.  That’s what substitutes for “checking the skillset” in the hiring process.  While we all might wish that the most skilled person was hired for the position, we can all quote a dozen times when we know a person was hired because of a great interview, a personal connection, or a resume including background experience and a good school.  I am hard pressed to come up with a situation where a direct demonstration of on-the-job skills picked one potential employee over another.

@LookingPro@xanga - and one would imagine that you don’t find grammar/spelling very important.

@Love_never_fails - not on lovylish

Anyone can SAY that they know how to do XYZ, but a college degree in XYZ lends a lot of credence to that statement.  If you really want to ask “is it worth it”, look up educational attainment in the US on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_attainment_in_the_United_States

Data from the IRS and BLS show that as education increases, average pay increases significantly and the likelihood of being unemployed decreases noticeable.  Yes, some recent graduates are having problems with jobs – I did, but it’s a temporary issue.  Yes, there are a small (and ever shrinking) number of people with no education beyond high school that make OK livings and a VERY small number (mostly actors or musicians) with no education beyond high school that make it big – but those are the very rare exceptions.  The majority who don’t go to college or some sort of trade school will end up living paycheck to paycheck just barely scraping by (if that) and will be among the first to get laid off during bad economic times and they’ll have the hardest time finding a new job.
Nothing you do, regardless of education level, will guarantee you a job – not even sleeping with the boss.  Better to make the wise decision that has a long history of increasing your odds of success in life than to take the easy path and hope that you’re that one in a million that gets lucky.

I have two degrees and am still having trouble landing my dream job (teacher). Although my situation stinks, I am the top pick in any hourly-wage job. I can’t imagine try to land even an hourly-wage job in this economy without some type of higher degree. Plus, once you finish college, hopefully the economy has already bounced back, and you’ll have a wonderful job at your fingertips.

More food for thought: although it’s expensive, going to college is more than just going to class and paying a few thousand dollars for a degree. It’s about the whole college experience: transitioning from high school to adult world, making more friends, learning to support yourself and be responsible for your actions, etc. I would not advise ANYone to skip college.

For a liberal arts degree… probably not worth it. And I think that student loans should be avoided if at all possible.
Some fields require degrees, but I think at least half of the students at school are probably wasting their time and money.

@WaitingToShrug@xanga - Well the ones majoring in things that have no relation to an employable job definitely are…..that’s why it kills me seeing “news” articles about the “evil schools and banks” that “forced” someone to take out $250,000 in debt for a women’s studies degree and now they can’t find a job.

Depends on what you want to do.   I could not possibly get into my field without a Ph. D, so in my case it’s absolutely worth it

As a current college student, I think college is absolutely worth it depending on how you spend your time while you’re there. If you’re in college to party, drink, get away from parents and responsibility and slack off for four years, then expect to get a decent job after…well, then it’s probably not going to be worth it unless the parties, hangovers, and awkward situations were worth it for you…which, for some, it’s totally worth it and that’s fine. For me, the education is absolutely worth it. In high school, we were given standard classes that we needed to take to graduate. In college, over half the classes you take are your choice. I’m a Communications major, so my core classes are public advocacy, communication theory and practices, and foundational communication philosophy as well as seven electives within my major. However, those take up one or two of the five classes I need to take a semester. So far, my electives have ranged from psychology to film production. I’ve learned so much, and have found so many topics that interest me that at the end of every semester, I’ve walked away knowing more about myself, as well as knowing more about topics that I never even knew about in high school. I’m becoming a better person, a stronger person, a more educated person and a more independent person. College is hard, but it’s amazing too. There are so many opportunities that are offered to you in college that you will never be able to get anywhere else. College isn’t just about getting a degree to get a job, it’s about experiencing new things, broadening your horizons, and finding out who you truly are. I think people who go to college are much more prepared and ready for the “real world” than people who skip college altogether. It’s expensive, but I think college is definitely worth it.  

@annamariuhh@xanga - im saying that college should be important to you even if you don’t go urself because dyeing because some engineer isn’t a real engineer and didn’t go to college is not the funnest way to go.

And if you get a shit major and a shit school then its ur own damn fault u can’t get a job

College isn’t for everyone.

It is what you make of it. If you go to some college “beacause
you should” and you get “okay” grades, have fun finding a job with the
other however-many thousand people who are just like you… Finding a
college that has good placement rates, good connections, and then
working your ass off to get great grades is what will get you the job
you want. It’s hard work, but that’s the point.

I think it’s
possible to make it in the workplace without a degree but it’s not
guaranteed or even likely that you will go far. My dad never went to
college and while he has a good job that he loves, he won’t ever get
high promotions because, as he has said, all of the people in those
positions have at least a bachelors if not a masters. I’d say college is
worth it if you are willing to work hard. (And if the job you want
requires/benefits from a college degree… I wouldn’t get a degree for
any visual/performing arts, and probably not culinary arts, or something
like construction as someone else stated.)

It all depends. For example, I know a lot of people who majored in something completely useless, either with no demand for it or they simply didn’t want to work in that business. Also, you absolutely have to get good grades in college & really try for a job or an internship when you get out. Too many college grads expect a job to fall into their lap. That’s simply not going to happen.

Your post makes an extremely valid point. Like anything else in life you get what you put out. If your whole purpose of going to college is to go for that television experience of parties, friends and magically after four years of that your degree is what guarantees you success in your life you are delusional. You most likely forgot that the MAIN purpose of college and university is for you to achieve HIGHER EDUCATION. So yeah your screwing yourself over with debt by throwing down a good 40,000 or a more a year for drunk nights and honing your bullshitting skills for papers. ($40,000?! You realize how many bad ass vacations you could have with all that cash without the need to bullshit a paper the next morning?)However I think college can be a great tool that shows a person has work ethic, responsibility, and a sense of focus if they know how to reap as much as possible from their particular school. It serves as a fantastic baseline when you can balance the priorities of learning with the perks of socializing and not limit your mind to the concept that the only place to learn is in school.

Plus college isn’t the real world. hell no. Real world involves interacting with people your age people 10-30 years older than you (that aren’t your parents), people with kids, people who just had overall completely different lives so the expectations are different, communication is different. College is quite a privalage in this world but it is a fantasy world compared to the actual real world.

From what I’ve seen firsthand, not unless you get a degree in engineering or another science.

@LookingPro@xanga - *you’re

The big thing is skills and connections. For example, if I get training in computer networking and information technology and know someone who can land you a position or an internship, you’re pretty much set. To me, colleges are nothing more than expensive day-care centers and don’t really tech you anything you need for the REAL WORLD.